Lessons I learned from LEAD

A graduate from LEAD, NWNY’s free workforce development program, revisits the impact of the training in her adjustment to life in the US and her search for meaningful employment

Written by Daniella Golombeski

I can’t say that I left behind everything in my native country of Colombia to chase unfulfilled dreams. But I did come to the United States  to build a new path with my husband and continue weaving all the dreams I brought with me. 

Faced with the immensity of New York City, the cost of living here, the unstoppable avalanche of people, cultures and faces that surrounded me, my initial feeling of excitement gave way to frustration. I couldn’t stop thinking: “This is not for me! I don’t want to start from scratch, I can’t throw away years of work experience.”  But I knew the reason I felt this way was fear.

Then I heard about NWNY from a friend from Brazil with whom I was studying English. She spoke fondly about the organization and its workshops. I asked her for more information and loved it when she said: “The program is free and you are going to learn a lot.” This was like gasoline for my engine and I decided to enroll in the spring cycle of 2020. I attended the first workshop online when Covid-19 came to the city on a silent wave. With the pandemic ongoing, the remaining workshops continued virtually.

After completing all eight sessions, I felt that I am a person transformed from the inside out. The best thing about the end of the workshops is not the certificate, but being part of a community inspired and dedicated to thrive in this new country. NWNY lit the way and gave me the answer I was looking for just when I was about to give up living in NYC.  

Here’s what I learned from my participation in the program:

Create meaningful bonds with fellow participants (as well as networking!)
The valuable mix of cultures represented by my colleagues from LEAD (Japan, Brazil, Italy, Australia, Mexico, etc.) made me feel supported and like I was part of a sisterhood. I looked forward to Tuesdays, when I could interact with my fellow participants and listen to those who had more experience here in the US. I learned from their efforts and from the enthusiasm they showed. I loved hearing their emotional stories as they  emerged from the program. Some had almost perfect English, but even so I never felt afraid to communicate with them.

During each workshop, we took the opportunity to get to know each other a little better. We would  express our fears about living in New York City to give each other strength, we exchanged advice on how to improve our English, and eventually we formed a WhatsApp group. Those short minutes were a leap into bravery and mutual support for all of us. 

 “I looked forward to Tuesdays, when I could interact with my fellow participants and listen to those who had more experience here in the US (…) The simulated interviews helped to explore my ambitions more deeply. I was able to confirm that I definitely love my profession, that I don’t want to do anything different and that in five years, I see myself as a leader in a wonderful company , speaking beautiful English, and being part of a community where I can support immigrant women or girls.” — Daniella Golombeski

Value the abilities and skills I bring with me
The best thing about the workshops was that NWNY accepted me as I am. I felt valued and respected no matter my level of experience in the US or how well I spoke English. I realized that I do not have to start from scratch as I thought before. The abilities and skills I bring with me were not erased. I am starting with my past experience, my discipline and my desire to continue growing. I learned to really define what my hard and soft skills are.

It was at LEAD where I realized that soft skills definitely have an impact on getting that desired job. For example, I discovered that my good communication, patience and persuasion are some of the things that I must continue to highlight in myself.  I also learned that my passion for my profession is my greatest motivation. Technical skills are not enough, your characteristics as a person must be even stronger!

Focus on my achievements, not  on the sum of my duties
The “How to write a resume” workshop was a novelty for me. In Colombia, resumes do not highlight your achievements in previous positions. Instead they’re supposed to list the specific duties you were carrying out. So I was surprised when the LEAD workshop asked me to highlight achievements and use verbs to summarize what I accomplished.

So I did an introspection and asked myself: “What have you accomplished in each job in all these years?” I realized that I am not a working machine. I am the result of many things I have done where I have worked! I am still working on my  list of achievements, which will include the challenges I faced in past jobs and how I handled them.

Establish mid-term goals and believe in them
I learned to visualize more precisely where I want to be in five years. I have always been clear about my plans, but when you change countries and experience this process of transition, adaptation and confusion, you must rethink and question many things. In my case, the simulated interviews helped me not only answer the workshop requirements, but also explore my ambitions more deeply. I was able to confirm that I definitely love my profession, that I don’t want to do anything different and that in five years, I see myself as a leader in a wonderful company , speaking beautiful English, and being part of a community where I can support immigrant women or girls. I’m sure about that. NWNY motivates you to think that if you believe in something, you can create it.

Change my perspective on working life in this country
The NWNY tutors discussed respect and equality, specifically that US companies accept candidates based on their professional skills, not physical appearances. My country lacks more respect for diversity in every way. Many well-known companies in Colombia hire people with recognized surnames and judge candidates as a good or bad professional by the profile photo on their resumes, instead of looking at their professional achievements and abilities. A well-known communications  company in my country did not hire me because the regional director said that I did not have the face of a journalist. He didn’t even let me do the interview. I wondered if the same thing would happen to me here in the US. At NWNY, they took that paradigm away from me. Even with the job offers I have seen so far, I feel that the range of opportunities here is broader and more objective when it comes to hiring.

Prepare for job interviews and polish my English
My favorite workshops were the ones in which I had the opportunity to interact with Google and LinkedIn members in simulated individual interviews. The feedback process was one of the most enriching experiences because of the chance to discuss my professional experience and goals with a stranger in English.